Isabel McBryde (born 16 July 1934)
AO is an Australian
archaeologist
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
and professor
emerita at the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
(ANU) and School
Fellow
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher education ...
, in the School of
Social Science
Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...
s, Faculty of Arts.
McBryde is credited with training "at least three generations of Australian archaeologists"
and is affectionately referred to as the "Mother of Australian Archaeology". McBryde had a "holistic" approach to studying the archaeology of Aboriginal Australia, which has been carried on by many of her students (and her students' students).
McBryde has also made considerable contributions to the preservation and protection of Australian cultural heritage, particularly
Aboriginal cultural heritage.
Biography
McBryde was born in
Fremantle, Western Australia
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
on 16 July 1934.
Her family moved to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
not long after her birth.
McBryde completed
honours
Honour (British English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is the idea of a bond between an individual and a society as a quality of a person that is both of social teaching and of personal ethos, that manifests itself as a ...
and
master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s, in Latin and history, at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...
. She received her formal archaeological training at
Cambridge University
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
where she undertook a Diploma in Prehistoric Archaeology in 1959.
In 1960, McBryde returned to Australia and was appointed as the first lecturer in
prehistory
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
and ancient history at the
University of New England (UNE), the first titled position of its kind in Australia. She completed her
PhD at UNE in 1966 with a regional study of the Aboriginal archaeology of the
New England region of New South Wales. According to Sandra Bowdler and Genevieve Clune, her PhD was the first-ever awarded based on Australian archaeological fieldwork. At UNE, McBryde set up courses in archaeology, focusing on the "importance of regionally focused archaeology".
McBryde was appointed as senior lecturer in the Department of Prehistory and
Anthropology
Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavi ...
at the ANU in 1974,
and in 1986 she was appointed as the chair of prehistory.
McBryde retired from ANU in 1994.
Awards and honours
McBryde was elected as a Fellow of the
Australian Academy of the Humanities
The Australian Academy of the Humanities was established by Royal Charter in 1969 to advance scholarship and public interest in the humanities in Australia. It operates as an independent not-for-profit organisation partly funded by the Australia ...
in 1979.
In 1990, McBryde became an
Officer of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...
(AO) for her "service to education, particularly in the field of Australian Prehistory". In 2001, McBryde received a further honour from the Australian Government, being awarded a
Centenary Medal
The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...
"for service to cultural heritage and as a distinguished archaeologist". McBryde remained continually involved within the world of archaeological academia with great enthusiasm, as she routinely reviewed fellow archaeological work.
In 2003, McBryde was awarded the
Rhys Jones Medal for Outstanding Contribution to Australian Archaeology, which is the highest honour bestowed by the
Australian Archaeological Association
The Australian Archaeological Association (AAA) is an archaeological organisation in Australia. Membership is open to anyone interested in furthering archaeology in Australia.
Sometimes referred to by the nickname ''Triple A'', the association was ...
. In the citation for her medal it was noted that: "Few people have created such an enduring legacy for Australian archaeology. She has touched the minds, hearts and actions of virtually the entire Australian archaeological community. She is celebrated by students, Indigenous communities, colleagues and friends."
In 2005, McBryde was awarded life membership for Outstanding Contribution to the Australian Archaeological Association, an association of which she was a founding member, and also served as its first secretary in 1974–1975.
Her work is described and lauded in
Billy Griffiths' 2018 award-winning book ''Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia''.
Publications
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Further reading
*''Many Exchanges: Archaeology, History, Community and the Work of Isabel McBryde'' (2005), Aboriginal History Inc.
*Wil-im-ee Moor-ring: Or, Where Do Axes Come From? By Isabel McBryde (1978)
References
External links
Interview(audio)
{{DEFAULTSORT:McBryde, Isabel
Australian archaeologists
Living people
1934 births
Australian women archaeologists
Officers of the Order of Australia